Craig Zadan and Neil Meron Will Produce Academy Awards for Second Consecutive Year

By .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
17 Apr 2013

Craig Zadan and Neil Meron

Photo by Charles Sykes/NBC

The producing team of Craig Zadan and Neil Meron will return to produce the Oscars for a second time next year, Academy president Hawk Koch announced. The Academy Awards will air live on ABC on March 2, 2014.

“Craig and Neil have the overwhelming support of the Academy's Governors to produce the Oscars again in 2014," said Academy president Koch in a statement. "In order to establish continuity with this year's enormously successful show, we felt it was important to give these consummate professionals the green light now to begin creating another great evening."

"We are very honored to have been asked to return as Oscar producers for a second year," added Zadan and Meron. "We look forward to creating a distinctive and entertaining show."

“Craig and Neil have great relationships, a sense of showmanship, and a passion for our Academy,” said Academy CEO Dawn Hudson. “And they’re a pleasure to work with. All perfect qualities for our show."

The February 2013 Oscars hosted by Seth MacFarlane drew an average audience of 40.3 million total viewers and delivered a 13.0 rating among adults 18-49. The show was TV’s most-watched entertainment telecast in the last three years.

Advertisement

Zadan and Meron served as executive producers for the 2002 Best Picture winner “Chicago,” which won Oscars in six of the 13 categories in which it was nominated. Their credits also include the features “Footloose” (2011), “Hairspray” and “The Bucket List.” Zadan also produced the original “Footloose” (1984).

Zadan and Meron’s work in television includes the series "Smash" and such movies as “A Raisin in the Sun” and “Steel Magnolias.”